


IchiRuki | sundrop

by tachipaws



Category: Bleach, ichiruki - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 09:03:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11894442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tachipaws/pseuds/tachipaws
Summary: People talk about the sun dying all the time. We know someday the sun’s fire will be snuffed out, leaving it an ancient rock floating into oblivion.We talk about it happening millions and millions of years from now, when our ashes become stardust and it’s not any sort of concern to our mortal bodies now.Rukia never thought a million years could pass by in just ten.





	IchiRuki | sundrop

**Author's Note:**

> requested from a prompt list on tumblr xx

People talk about the sun dying all the time. We know someday the sun’s fire will be snuffed out, leaving it an ancient rock floating into oblivion.

We talk about it happening millions and millions of years from now, when our ashes become stardust and it’s not any sort of concern to our mortal bodies now.

Rukia never thought a million years could pass by in just ten. Ten fleeting years she’d known Ichigo, spent all her time worrying and cheering for him, making snarky remarks and having tantrums over his criticism of her drawings.

Ten years.

Only one extra minute added, spent by Ichigo coughing against the blood pooling in his lung to reassure her that he was fine, he could do this, this wasn’t over.

But it had been over. He couldn’t do it. He wasn’t fine.

Rukia stood alone, staring down into the carved earth that bore his casket as it was prepared to be lowered. Glass and gold framed his prone figure. Isshin had insisted on the brilliant design, so as to truly honor his beautiful only son, and to make saying goodbye easier, so no tears would stain his gentle face.

The funeral attendants slowly passed by her, each saying their final farewells.

Hitsugaya paused and let his hand rest on her shoulder. When she faced him, he gave her a gentle squeeze and a pinched smile, his pale eyes today as cloudy as the thunderous sky.

“He’ll be back, Rukia. It seems like it now because we’re in the human world, but we all know this isn’t his end. And this was not your fault. He was only human, after all.”

Rukia gave a shaky nod, prompting Hitsugaya to let her be and join his lieutenant as the crowd filed by.

In moments that felt like forever Rukia was finally alone. She lay herself on the soft grass, letting a hand rest on the glass case that now held Ichigo’s mortal frame.

Bloodshot eyes fixed their gaze once more on his face, drinking in every detail. Her mind wandered, wondering how long it would take him to find her in Soul Society, if he’d recognize her, if he’d even look the same, if he’d still love her-

“Mama?”

A hand smaller than Hitsugaya’s tapped Rukia’s hip, quivering with the voice it belonged to.

“Hisana, I thought you were with Uncle Byakuya,” Rukia sat up and motioned to her lap,“ “come here, sweetheart.”

The small girl settled against her mother, letting her long hair splay out against Rukia’s dress.

“Mama, why did Daddy have to die? I thought he was strong.”

“Oh he was, Hisana. Your father was, is, the strongest man I’ve ever met, in over a hundred years.”

“But then why did he die? Strong people aren’t supposed to die.”

“Even the strongest of lights burn out, sweetheart. It doesn’t mean they aren’t strong. It just means they’ve burnt for long enough. And your father, he was only human after all.” Hitsugaya’s words echoed in her mind, and she knew she was attempting to reassure herself as well as her small child. “Besides, he will come back. I don’t know when, but he’s always come back to us. That won’t ever change.”

The pair sat together a while, letting the comfort of each other’s presence and the hope of seeing the beloved husband and father again someday form a sense of peace and calm between them.

A crack of thunder startled Rukia and Hisana, and they looked up to see the sun finally break through the wall of clouds, illuminating the tiny droplets of an oncoming thunderstorm. Rukia settled Hisana into her lap, letting her chin rest atop her daughter’s head and resuming her focus on Ichigo, stealing a final few moments of his face before they would have to escape the downpour.

A film of raindrops covered his casket now, reflecting tiny rainbows in the sun’s light and making his face shine golden, and Rukia swore she could almost see life in his flesh again and a smile on his face in the blurred glass, and once again she heard Ichigo’s voice.

“This? Ha, this is nothing. You know me, Rukia ha- this isn’t hardly enough to do me in. I’ll be fine, you’ll see. I’ll always be fine, and I’ll always come back to you, Rukia.”

Rukia felt herself smile, letting the rain wash away her anguish for a moment and enjoy the beautiful face she’d come to know and love, shining one more time, just for her. For the first time since the light had left Ichigo’s eyes, Rukia finally felt fine, if only for the moment.

She stood with her daughter, and the two walked away from Ichigo’s body, knowing he would find them again, as the sunlight always finds its way through thunderclouds.


End file.
